Pocket structure for garments



S. L. LJNDEN May 3, 1966 POCKET STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1964 ssymouz I,- L/NDEN INVENTOR. BY Z ATTORNEY May 3, 1966 s. L LINDEN POCKET STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS 2 Sheets-Shee 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1964 24a loo.

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TTOENEV 3,248,739 POCKET STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS Seymour 1'... Linden, Los Angeles, Calif assignor to Edward Hyman Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporationof California Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 389,946

4 Claims. (Cl. 22 27) This invention relates to a new and improved pocket construction for garments, for example, trousers, and particularly for washable work clothes, including work pants, jackets, coveralls and the like. This application is a continuation-in-part offapplication Serial No. 277,208 filed May 1, 1963, now abandoned.

In conventional forms of trousers and similar garments, usually the front or side pockets are each attached to the trouser by stitching at the top of the pocket and along one side thereof adjacent the opening or mouth of the pocket, and the back or hip pockets are usually attached to the trouser by stitching, mostly along the top edge of the pocket. Thus, the front and back pockets are relatively free to swing independently of each other. This is a disadvantage in handling the trouser, especially in pressing and cleaning, for which purpose a work piece or board, forming a part of a press, is inserted into the trouser leg in contact with the pockets to hold them in uncreased, elongated position.

In this operation, since the pockets are free to swing and move relative to each other, although the work piece may properly engage one pocket, say the back pocket, to hold it properly against the work piece, the other freely swinging pocket, e.g., the front pocket, can curl up or crease, and hence, may not be in proper uniform contact with the surface of the work piece. Thus, it is necessary in these operations to take particular care to make certain that the pressing board or work piece employed has properly engaged both the front and back jockets so as to properly stretch them out in contact with the board.

This necessitates added time and manipulation, and inincreases expenses.

Also, when working clothes such as work pants are washed, conventional pockets of the above type tend to become wadded and often turn inside out, requiring time and labor to readjust such pockets.

Various modes of solving this problem have been attempted in the prior art. Thus, for example, it is known to stitch the edge of a trouser side pocket adjacent the hand opening, to the side seam of the trouser throughout the length of the pocket, or to attach the adjacent edge of a trouser hip pocket to a side seam of the trouser by means of a tab or strap, in an effort to prevent the pockets from, turninginside out during the washing operation. However, this construction partially restrains movement of these pockets during Washing operations. The pockets so restrained still have a tendency to turn inside out and protrude through the hand opening therein, or to wad during pressing and cleaning operations. This is inhibited or practically prevented by my invention.

It is an object of my invention to so attach the pocket to the trouser so that it will be restrained from inverting or wadding up during cleaning and pressing.

Another object of this invention is the provision. of front and back pockets for a trouser, and including means connecting the front and back pockets with the main trouser portions, in a manner so as to substantially restrain movement of such pockets with respect to the adjacent trouser portions,

It is a further object of my invention to attach the pocket in a manner such that by an adjustment of the trouser the pockets may be made to lie flat and thus reduce the operations in pressing of the trouser.

v United States Patent ()fiiCe 3,248,739 Patented May 3,1366

Another object of this invention is the provision of front and back pockets for a trouser, and including means connecting the front and back pockets with the main trouser portions, in a manner so as to. substantially restrain movement of such pockets with respect to the adjacent trouser portions.

It is a further object of my invention to attach the pocket in a manner such that by an adjustment of the trouser, the pockets may be made to be fiat and thus reduce the operations in pressing the trouser.

It is one object of a form of trouser of my invention to attach the pocket to the trouser leg or trouser seat in such a way that 'on introducing a tension into the leg between both ends of the pocket, the leg or seat and the adjacent pocket are straightened, and the pocket will be fiat against the leg or seat. This will permit the application of a conventional pressing operation to the trouser leg or seat and will, without any additional special manipulation of the pocket, assure that the pocket will lie flat and be pressed flat when conventional pressing procedures are employed in the pressing of the trouser.

This is accomplished by attaching the bottom end of the pocket at a point or points between the longitudinal edges or bottom of the pocket to the adjacent section of the trouser leg insuch manner that a tension imposed on the trouser leg between the portion of the trouser leg adjacent the top end of the pocket and the point of attachment of the bottom end of the pocket will develop a region of tension throughout substantially the entire external area of the pocket.

In consequence of this arrangement, a simple snap of the trouser in preparing the trouser for pressing will also flatten the pocket to remove curling, wadding orfolding of the pocket.

These and other objects can be accomplished in a trouser in the case of a side pocket, by attaching a localized area of the lower portion of the front or side pockets, which is remote from the side seam of the trouser directly to the adjacent trouser portion. In the case of a hip pocket, this may be accomplished by attaching a localized area of the free lower portion of the hip or back pocket of the trouser, directly to the adjacent trouser portion. In one form of my invention, this is accomplished by connecting the front lower corner of the side pocket to the adjacent front trouser portion by means of tacking, e.g. by the so-called ticket tack stitch.

The hip pocket may be connected at its lower end, preferably substantially at the center thereof, to the adjacent rear trouser portion by a similar tacking means. By this relatively simple means, the side pocket and lower end portion of the hip pocket are securely anchored to the adjacent main trouser portions, thereby practically eliminating any undesirable swinging motion of the side and hip pockets, and thereby substantially preventing such \pockets from wadding or turning inside out during laundering, cleaning and pres-sing operations.

This construction permits of a flattening of the pocket by introducing a tension strain between the trouser portion above and below the pocket in arranging the trouser for pressing. This tension strain introduces a like strain across the surface of the pocket causing it to lie flat against the trouser. A pressing of the trouser adjacent the pocket area will simultaneously produce a pressing fiat of the pocket.

These and other objects can be accomplished in a trouser, according to my invention, by attaching a localized area of the free lower portion of the front or side pockets, which is remote from the side seam of the trouser to the adjacent trouser portion, and by attaching a localized area of the free lower portion of the hip or back pocket of the trouser, directly to the adjacent trouser portion. In one form of my invetnion, this is accomplished by connecting the front lower corner of the side pocket to the adjacent front trouser portion by means of tacking, e.g. by the so-called ticket tack stitch. The hip pocket may be connected to the lower end of the hip pocket, preferably substantially at the center thereof, to the adjacent rear trouser portion by a similar tacking means. By this relatively simple means, the side pocket and lower end portion of the hip pocket are securely anchored to the adjacent main trouser portions, thereby practically eliminating any undesirable swinging motion of the side and hip pockets, and thereby substantially preventing such pockets from wadding or turning inside out during laundering, cleaning and pressing operations.

This construction is thus one means, which as stated above, permits of a flattening of the pocket by introducing a tension strain between the trouser portion above and below the pocket in arranging the trouser for pressing. This tension strain introduces a like strain across the surface of the pocket causing it to lie fiat against the trouser. A pressing of the trouser adjacent the pocket area will simultaneously produce a pressing fiat of the pocket.

The above construction, however, introduces the difficulty that the pocket is so attached to the tension leg that it has no swinging action. I have found for most purposes, it is desirable that the pockets do have sufficient swing so that when objects are introduced into the pocket, that the pocket will be able to swing to one side as to be positioned to one side of the thigh. This is desirable not only in walking, but also in sitting, and adds to the comfort of the wearer.

This objective, however, is contradictory to the objective set forth above, and presents a dilemma. I have solved this dilemma by the use of a tab so connected to the lower end of the pocket and the trouser leg, so that tension imposed on the tab creates a region of tension throughout the pocket to cause the pocket to straighten and become flat. The tab is of such length and is attached to the region of the lower end of the pocket to permit some freedom of sidewise swing to the pocket. The tab is made sufficiently short so as to inhibit a twisting or wadding action during washing operations.

I therefore obtain the prevention of the inversion of the pocket and wadding as in the previous form, and also obtain the advantage of flattening the pocket and its simultaneous pressing with the trouser, as in the previous form. In addition, the pocket will adjust itself when sitting or walking and on introduction of objects much as in the conventional pocket which is not restrained, as in the case of the pockets of my invention.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the description below of a preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view portion of one form of trouser employing the pocket construction of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on'line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate modifications of the invention principle;

FIG. 8 shows a portion of another form of the trouser of my invention;

FIG. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a section taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 8.

The trouser legs are formed by a front trouser portion 10 and a rear trouser portion 12, and at the top of the trouser is a waist portion or waistband 14, including belt loops 16. The front edge of the rear trouser portion 12 and the back edge of the front trouser portion 10 are overlapped at 17 and joined, as by stitching along a vertical line, indicated at 18 to form a side seam.

The pocket structure, seen more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a front or side pocket 20, and a back or hip pocket 22, both preferably made of a relatively strong material or fabric e.g., cotton, rayon or the like.

The side pocket 20 is formed of a pair of overlying side portions 24 and 26, made from a single piece of material and folded over at 28 to form the front edge of the pocket. The rear vertical edges 30 of the pocket side portions 24 and 26 are joined together by the stitching of the side seam 18 which joins the front and rear trouser portions 10 and 12, and the curved lower edges 32 of the pocket portions 24 and 26 are stitched together at 34.

As seen in FIG. 1, the front trouser portion 10 has at its upper end a slanting edge 36, said edge being free of the seam 18. Edge 36 is unattached except at its bottom end, which connects with seam 18, and at its top end, which is connected to the waist portion 14. Edge 36 thus forms one side of the side pocket opening, the other side being formed by a facing or line 42.

The free lower front corner 43 of the side pocket 20 is connected directly to the adjacent area of the front trouser portion 10 by a ticket tack 44, which is preferably located at the extreme lower front corner of the side pocket, closely adjacent the intersection 47 of the lower edge 32 with the front edge 28 of the pocket. Such ticket tack connects both side portions 24 and 26 of the side pocket with the trouser portion 10. In this manner, it will be obvious that such tacking 44 anchors the free lower corner 43 of the side pocket directly to the front trouser portion 10, thus preventing swinging of the pocket, and preventing wadding of the pocket or the turning of the pocket inside out during washing and pressing operations. The side pocket 20 is not stretched to its full length when tacked at 44 to the adjacent area 45 of the front trouser portion, but is positioned at the time of tacking at 44, so that there is some play or looseness at the lower end of the pocket, as indicated at 49. This permits shrinkage of the pocket 20 with respect to the adjacent trouser portion 10, after washing the trousers. However, it will be understood that when the pocket is made from a material which does not shrink with respect to the adjacent trouser portion, the pocket 20 can be stretched substantially to its full length when tacked as at 44, to the adjacent trouser portion 10, so that there is substantially no looseness or play in the power portion of the pocket, and the pocket is substantially contiguous, throughout its length, to the adjacent trouser portion 10.

Although for best results, the location of tacking of the side pocket 20 to the front trouser portion 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to be at the extreme lower corner of pocket 20, if desired, such point of tacking can be positioned at a point somewhat removed from the corner of the pocket either along the bottom edge 32 in the area illustrated by the dotted circle 51 in FIG. 1, or along the front edge 28, as for example, as shown in dotted circle at 53 in FIG. 1. In such cases, it will be apparent that there will be a small but relatively insignificant amount of movement of a small corner portion of the pocket with respect to the adjacent trouser portion 10.

The back or hip pocket 22 is also formed of two overlying side portions 46 and 48 and stitched together at 50 along the side edges 52 and the lower curved edge 54 of side portions 46 and 48.

The inner side portion 46 of the hip pocket is connected to the rear trouser portion 12 by horizontal stitching at 55 and 56, and also by stitching along the waistband 14, and the outer side portion 48 of the hip pocket is connected to the rear trouser portion 12 by the horizontal stitching at 55. A horizontal hand opening 58 is provided for the hip pocket opposite the pocket facing 60.

The free lower end 62 of the hip pocket is connected directly to the adjacent area 63 of the rear trouser portion 12 by a ticket tack 64, which is preferably located at the extreme lower end of the pocket closely adjacent the lower edge 54 thereof, such tacking connecting both side portions 46 and 48 of the hip pocket with the trouser portion 12. It will thus be obvious that such tacking anchors the free lower end 62 of the hip pocket directly to the rear trouser portion 12, thus preventing relative movement of the pocket, and preventing the hip pocket from wadding or turning inside out during laundering and pressing of the trousers. As in the case of side pocket 20, hip pocket 22 is positioned when tacked at 64 so as to provide a small amount of play or looseness at the lower end of the pocket, as indicated at 66, similar to the looseness at 49 of the hip pocket 20, to permit relative shrinkage between the pocket 22 and the rear trouser portion 12 after washing the trousers. However, as previously noted with respect to side pocket 20, hip pocket 22 can be stretched to its full length when tacked at 64 to the rear trouser portion 12 so that there is substantially no looseness at the lowerend of the pocket, in the absence of relative shrinking between the pocket 22 and the adjacent trouser portion 12.

It will be noted also that with the positioning of the connections or tacking 44 and 64 adjacent the outer edges of both the side pocket and hip pocket, there is substantially no interference or reduction of the usable space within these pockets, which is normally available for use in the absence of such tacking.

As will be understood, the trouser usually has two sets of the pocket structures described above, one set on each side of the trouser, so as to provide a pair of side pockets 20 and a pair of-hip pockets 22.

It will be be understood that the use of only a single properly located tacking or point of connection between the lower portion of the side pocket or of the hip pocket, and the adjacent area of the main trouser portion, as at 44 or at 64,'will suffice to produce the improved pocket construction, which is substantially free from swinging tendencies, and that this is the simplest and most economical construction. If desired, -however,'a plurality of strategically positioned tackings can be employed, which will reduce even further any motion of the side or hip pockets with respect to the main trouser portions. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the side pocket 70, of a general construction similar to that of pocket 20 shown in FIG. 1, can be anchored to the main front trouser portion by three ticket tacks 72, positioned closely adjacent the' lower and vertical edges 74 and 76, and selectively spaced to provide a minimum of movement between the pocket and the trouser portion 10. 7

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, the hip pocket 80, of a general construction like the hip pocket 22 shown in'FIG. 1, can be attached to the rear trouser portion 12 by a plurality, shown as two in number, of ticket tacks 82, connected near the lower end of adjacent opposite side edges 84 of the pocket, to the adjacent trouser portion 12.

In each of the modifications shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it will be apparent that side pocket 70 and hip pocket 80 will be anchored securely to the adjacent trouser portions with practically no swinging tendencies.

It will be understood that any form of tacking or stitches can be employed in the pocket construction of the invention, to anchor the pocket to the trouser. Thus, I can employ a type of tacking which is almost a point connection, e.g., as provided by the above-noted ticket tacking and illustrated at 44, 64, 72 and 82 in the drawing, or I can employ-other types of tacking, such as a bar tack or a buttonhole tack, of greater tacking area, or a discontinuous short line of stitching or tacking, to connect the free end of the pocket with the adjacent trouser portion. This latter modification is illustrated in FIG. 7, showing a hip pocket 90, of a construction similar to pocket 22 shown in FIGS. 1-3, connected to the rear trouser portion 12 by a short central line of stitching 92, adjacent the lower edge 94 of the pocket.

Also, it will be understood that, instead of tacking both the inner and outer sides of the side pocket, e.g.,24

10 and 12, respectively, while still obtaining the improved results of the invention.

One of the advantageous results of the above construction in the pockets 20 of FIGS. 1 and 2, and 70 of FIG. 5

and of FIG. 6, is that when a tension pull between the top of the trouser and the trouser portion below the bottom end of the pocket, to straighten the trouser, the pocket is also placed in tension and will straighten. In the form of the pocket 20, the region of tension extends between the tack 44 to the side edge 36 where it attaches to the side seam 18 and between these points of attach-- ment, and the point of attachment of the pocket at the waist portion 14. This tension also acts to spread the points 44 and 18 to cause a flattening of the pocket.

This situation also applies to FIGS. 5 and 6 when the points are between tacks 72 and 82 and the waist portion, and between the tacks 72 and 82 and the point of attachment of the side 36 to the seam 18.

FIG. 8 shows a preferred embodiment of my invention which has the advantages of the construction of FIGS. l-7, and includes the advantage of permitting sufficient freedom of movement of the pocket, as described above. In this form, the pocket is anchored to the adjacent portion of the trouser by means of a tab of such length, and so positioned that when the trouser is stretched taught by a pull between that portion of the trouser near the top of the pocket and below the end of the tab, the pocket is stretched flat.

The pockets shown in FIGS. 8l0 are constructed as shown in FIGS. l-7 and described above; similar parts being similarly numbered. Instead of the attachment of the pocket portion to the adjacent portion of the trousers, the pockets are attached by tabs. The tab is secured at 97 to the bottom edge 32 to the stitched seam 34. The pocket is connected across its width at the top to the band 14.

A triangular region of tension stress is created between 97 and the band 14, and between 97 and the point of attachment of the side 36 to the seam 18. The angularity is sufliciently large so that a stretching of the pocket fiat against the adjacent side of the trouser results. The

length of the tab is such that the secured end of the pocket may move in the direction of the arrow 10a when the trouser leg moves upward as the wearer seats. This pocket will swing sufliciently to move one side of the thigh.

The application of this formof tab attachment of the hip pocket 22 is shown at 98 in FIG. 8. The tab 98 is attached to the trouser leg at 99 and to the bottom 54 of the hip pocket at a point to stretch the pocket 22 flat against the trouser portion 12. The hip pocket is attached across at its top to the band 12. The width of the tab at the point of attachment to the bottom of the pocket at 99, is sufiicient so a zone of tension stress extends from the area of connection at 98 to the band 14. When a tension pull is made between a point below 99 and the band 14, the pocket is pulled flat.

The width of the tab in the region of attachment of the tabs 95 and 99, may be just suflicient to permit secure attachment and thus create a tension area in a restricted portion of the pocket, This will, in many cases, depending on the pocket configuration, be sufiicient to pull the pocket fiat. However, it is preferable that the region be made sufiiciently Wide to be sure that the edges of the pocket are influenced by the tension to pull the pocket flat across its width. Thus, for example, if the tab be from a A to /a of the width of the pocket, for example,

In all of the above cases, the tack or tab restrains the free motion of the pocket to inhibit or substantially prevent the pocket from becoming wadded up or turned inside out or folded.

In all of the above cases, if the pocket is wadded up or turned inside out, the tension will pull the pocket flat against the trouser leg.

Although the pocket constructions described above, and shown in the drawing find preferred application when employed in trousers or pants, it will be understood that the pocket improvement of the invention can be applied to pockets of other garments, such as jackets, coveralls and the like, to obtain the improved results described herein, and that the principle of the invention can be employed for pockets of any size or shape.

While I have described particular embodiments of my invention for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that various modifications and adaptations thereof may be made within the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A trouser comprising a front trouser portion, a rear trouser portion, said trouser portions forming a trouser leg, said portion being attached by a seam along the side of the trouser leg, a waistband, means forming a side pocket inside said front trouser portion adjacent said seam, said side pocket having an opening therein adjacent said seam, said side pocket having front and rear side edges and a closed bottom edge between said side edges, said side pocket connected to the waistband at its top and said rear side edge connected to said seam at a point below said opening, said front side edge extending below said rear side edge, means firmly fixing a localized area of said pocket at its bottom edge closely adjacent the front side edge to the immediately adjacent part of said front trouser portion, said areas being fixed so firmlytogether and positioned in a manner such that the pocket is restrained for limited sidewise displacement relative to the trouser and a tension pull between the portion of the trouser above said pocket and th portion of the trouser below said pocket will pull said pocket taut between the bottom and top of said pocket.

2. The trouser of claim 1, said means fixing said pocket to said trouser comprising a tab connected to said bottom at a portion of said bottom spaced from said seam and said tab alsoconnected to the adjacent portion of said trouser, said tab extending in the direction of extension of said pocket along its length.

3. In the trouser of claim 2, said tab connected to the corner of said pocket remote from said seam.

4. A trouser comprising a front trouser portion, a rear trouser portion, said trouser portions forming a trouser leg, said portions being attached by a seam along the side of the trouser leg, at waistband, means forming a side pocket inside said front trouser portion adjacent said seam, said side pocket having an opening therein adjacent said seam, said side pocket having front and rear side edges and a closed bottom edge between said side edges, said pocket connected at its upper end to said waistband and connected at its rear side edge to said side seam at a point below said opening, said front side edge extending below said rear edge means, firmly fixing a localized area of said pocket at its bottom edge closely adjacent the front side edge to the immediately adjacent part of said front trouser portion, means forming a hip pocket in said rear trouser portion, said hip pocket having an opening along the upper end thereof, said hip pocket having opposite closed side edges and a closed bottom edge, and means comprising a tab for firmly fixing a localized area of the lower end of said hip pocket adjacent its bottom edge to an immediately adjacent area of said rear trouser portion spaced from said seam, said areas being fixed so firmly together and positioned in a manner such that the pocket is restrained for limited sidewise displacement relative to the trouser and a tension pull between the portion of the trouser above each of said pockets and the portion of the trouser below each of said pockets will pull each of said pockets taut between the bottom and top of each of said pockets.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,310,210 7/1919 Peine 2-247 1,506,059 8/1924 Hammond 2-254 1,529,154 3/1925 Block 2247 X 1,711,437 4/1929 Yund 2248 2,637,040 5/1953 Kay 2247 2,778,026 1/1957 Rosenthal 2-227 X FOREIGN PATENTS 126,886 5/1919 Great Britain.

673,584 6/1952 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT V. SLOAN, Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TROUSER COMPRISING A FRONT TROUSER PORTION, A REAR TROUSER PORTION, SAID TROUSER PORTIONS FORMING A TROUSER LEG, SAID PORTION BEING ATTACHED BY A SEAM ALONG THE SIDE OF THE TROUSER LEG, A WAISTBAND, MEANS FORMING A SIDE POCKET INSIDE SAID FRONT TROUSER PORTION ADJACENT SAID SEAM, SAID SIDE POCKET HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN ADJACENT SAID SEAM, SAID SIDE POCKET HAVING FRONT AND REAR SIDE EDGES AND A CLOSED BOTTOM EDGE BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES, SAID SIDE POCKET CONNECTED TO THE WAISTBAND AT ITS TOP AND SAID REAR SIDE EDGE CONNECTED TO SAID SEAM AT A POINT BELOW SAID OPENING, SAID FRONT SIDE EDGE EXTENDING BELOW SAID REAR SIDE EDGE, MEANS FIRMLY FIXING A LOCALIZED AREA OF SAID POCKET AT ITS BOTTOM EDGE CLOSELY ADJACENT THE FRONT SIDE EDGE TO THE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT PART OF SAID FRONT TROUSER PORTION, SAID AREAS BEING FIXED SO FIRMLY TOGETHER AND POSITIONED IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE POCKET IS RESTRAINED FOR LIMITED SIDEWALL DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE TO THE TROUSER AND A TENSION PULL BETWEEN THE PORTION OF THE TROUSER ABOVE SAID POCKET AND THE PORTION OF THE TROUSER BELOW SAID POCKET WILL PULL SAID POCKET TAUT BETWEEN THE BOTTOM AND TOP OF SAID POCKET. 